HP probe into recruitments

SHIMLA, April 27: Suspecting large-scale irregularities in the recruitments to the government jobs, Himachal Pradesh Government today ordere...

SHIMLA, April 27: Suspecting large-scale irregularities in the recruitments to the government jobs, Himachal Pradesh Government today ordered two separate inquiries into all recruitments to the government departments, boards, corporations and other autonomous bodies including universities during the four-year Congress-rule.

Order comes within three days of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal having given the hint that the government had received some complaints relating to 8220;certain8221; scandals of the previous government. His party, in its manifesto, had also promised to probe 8220;recruitment scandals8221; of the Virbhadra Singh regime. The BJP had been alleging regional imbalances in such recruitments. Some of these recruitments were even allegedly made on chits.8217;

The notifications issued in this regard today said while state8217;s Additional Chief Secretary C PSujaya would inquire into the recruitments pertaining to the government, Managing Director HPMC Avay Shukla, a commissioner-rank IAS officer, would probe recruitments made by the public sector undertakings.

These PSUS would include all boards, corporations, committees and other autonomous bodies of which universities were not excluded. The period covered in the inquiries included from December 1993 to February 1998.

The broad terms for the inquiries would be to go into all procedural aspects of recruitments to the government departments and PSUS. The inquiry panels have been asked to see whether proper recruitment committees or boards were constituted for the selection of suitable persons and also to see if compulsory notifications were followed. There had been complaints that in some of the cases, the persons recruited either were not eligible or were recruited in excess to the actual requirement. This aspect would mainly be reflected in case of recruitments to the boards and corporations, besides Himachal Pradesh University.

The notifications also make it binding on the inquiry officers to look into the area-wise distribution of recruitments based on the sub-divisional level, and department-wise recruitment figures. This fact had been found essential to find vout whether there was a regional bias in the matters of recruitments. However, the recruitments made by the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commissioin would not be part of the inquiry.

The inquiry panels had been asked to give specific recommendations with regard to the recruitment procedures, so as to ensure that in case, some of the procedures had been vitiated, necessary recommendations with regard to the pitfalls were given in terms of rectification procedure for the purpose to be taken into account in future. The recruitments would also cover the regular appointments, daily wages/contract and workcharged basis.

Story continues below this ad

The panels had been advised to give specific recommendation regarding the need for setting up of 8220;subordinate selection board on the lines of the H.P Public Service Commission so that low level functionaries presently being recruited by the government departments and corporations were recruited centrally by such an agency.

Earlier, the government had cancelled all service extensions given to the government servants and also instituted probe into alleged 8220;kidnapping8221; of an independent MLA Ramesh Chaudhry and other incidents of violence in Shimla before formation of the BJP government.